1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fluid recycling systems and more specifically it relates to a coolant recycling system for efficiently recycling contaminated machine tool coolant thereby extending the useful life of the coolant.
Machine tool devices often times utilize a liquid coolant to maintain a desirable temperature for components of the machine tool and the parts they are working upon. The liquid coolant may be comprised of various solutions (water miscible, semi-synthetic, full synthetic, etc.) that are well known in the industry. During the utilizing of the liquid coolant in conjunction with a machine tool, the liquid coolant becomes contaminated with solid contaminants such as metal chips and also with other fluids such as hydraulic fluid and the like (often referred to as xe2x80x9ctramp oilxe2x80x9d). Furthermore, bacteria, mold, yeast and fungus can increase the degradation of the coolants if not removed. There is a need for a coolant recycling system that effectively removes both the solid and liquid contaminants from machine tool coolant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluid recycling systems have been in use for years. Conventional fluid recycling systems rely mainly upon filters that remove debris that is unable to fit through a specific size of filter often times measured in microns (e.g. 50 micron filter, etc.). However, conventional fluid recycling systems are not as suitable for removing solid fines, tramp oil, and bio-infection created during the operation of a machine tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,529 issued to Becker illustrates a coolant recycler having a pair of tanks attached to a cart structure that utilizes a plurality of conventional filter structures to filter out the solid fines and tramp oil from the used machine tool coolant. Becker relies mainly upon a xe2x80x9cstackxe2x80x9d of oil absorbent pads which remove tramp oil (i.e. liquid contaminants) as the coolant flows downwardly into the second tank from the first tank. Unfortunately, it is the applicant""s experience that tramp oils will often times simply be forced through these oil absorbent pads and therefore not fully removed from the coolants. Another problem with Becker is that the entire volume of coolant is forced through the oil absorbent pads in large quantities. Another problem with Becker is that it relies on output only mixing since there are no recirculating capabilities within Becker.
While the prior art systems may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for efficiently recycling contaminated machine tool coolant thereby extending the useful life of the coolant.
In these respects, the coolant recycling system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of efficiently recycling contaminated machine tool coolant thereby extending the useful life of the coolant.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of recycling systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new coolant recycling system construction wherein the same can be utilized for efficiently recycling contaminated machine tool coolant thereby extending the useful life of the coolant.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new coolant recycling system that has many of the advantages of the recycling systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new coolant recycling system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art recycling systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a support frame, a first tank for receiving contaminated coolant, a second tank for receiving a volume of water to be mixed or used with cleanser in the machine tool sump and coolant concentrate, and a third tank for treating and cleaning the contaminated coolant. A skimmer apparatus is positioned within the third tank for removing the upper level of contaminants from the coolant for filtering separately from the significant volume of coolant within the third tank. An ozone applicator applies a specific volume of ozone to the coolant during the mixing of the coolant within the third tank which kills mold, yeast, fungus and bacteria while also changing the physical state of dissolved solids for increasing the ability to remove the contaminants from the coolant. In addition, the fine particulate metals are encouraged to the upper portion to be skimmed.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a coolant recycling system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a coolant recycling system for efficiently recycling contaminated machine tool coolant thereby extending the useful life of the coolant.
Another object is to provide a coolant recycling system that may be utilized for on recycling of machine tool coolant.
An additional object is to provide a coolant recycling system that removes solids, dissolved solids, fines, tramp oil, bacteria, molds, yeast and fungus from machine tool coolant.
A further object is; to provide a coolant recycling system that efficiently skims contaminated froth from the coolant to efficiently utilize filters without forcing the entire volume of coolant through the filters.
Another object is to provide a coolant recycling system that utilizes ozone to kill mold, yeast, fungus and bacteria contaminants.
A further object is to provide a coolant recycling system that utilizes ozone to change the physical state of some dissolved solids such as iron into rust.
Another object is to provide a coolant recycling system that reduces the need to replace conventional filters.
Another object is to provide a coolant recycling system that is multipurpose which may be utilized within a variety of situations and existing coolant recycling, handling and managing systems.
A further object is to provide a coolant recycling system that is easy and simple to utilize.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.